What's it Like To Install a Weather Station at the Top of the World? (sciencemag.org) 21
An anonymous reader shares a report: Earlier this year, researchers installed the world's highest weather station on the upper reaches of Mount Everest. The roughly 50-kilogram station, taller than a person, is one of five on and near the mountain that are collecting data about jet steam winds and warming conditions in High Mountain Asia, a region jam-packed with the most glaciers outside of Earth's poles. Tom Matthews, a climate scientist at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, and Paul Mayewski, a glaciologist at the University of Maine in Orono, were part of the record-setting expedition. Matthews presented some of the group's results last week here at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The two researchers chatted with Science about working at extreme altitudes, the power of body heat, and dealing with crowds on one of the world's most dangerous mountains.
Lots of money to find out (Score:2)
That thin air is cold and fast.
Other extreme environments (Score:4, Funny)
From the article:
Youâ(TM)re also confined by an oxygen mask, heavy clothing, winds whipping around you, and lots of other people nearby. Itâ(TM)s probably one of the most extreme environments you can think about working in.
That also could describe an old lady going Christmas shopping at the mall...
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No. I like his comments.
It's bloody cold and hard to breath (Score:2)
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Who knows? (Score:1)
Ask the Sherpas who do all the actual work.
The summit of Mt Everest (Score:1)
Sounds like a good, neutral place for Xi and Trump to have a meeting about trade
Finally (Score:5, Funny)
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We were originally hoping to install our highest weather station as close as possible to the summit. But there were about 200 people in line ahead of our team. Even if each person in that line spent only 1 minute at the summit, it was going to take close to the equivalent of one oxygen tank to wait. Our team ended up installing the station a few hundred meters below the summit, but that was the right decision. It was far smarter to be safe.
Science still took a back seat to the pointless climbers.
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Just as pointless as people playing video games, getting tattoos, or doing drugs.
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Also this:
We were originally hoping to install our highest weather station as close as possible to the summit. But there were about 200 people in line ahead of our team. Even if each person in that line spent only 1 minute at the summit, it was going to take close to the equivalent of one oxygen tank to wait. Our team ended up installing the station a few hundred meters below the summit, but that was the right decision. It was far smarter to be safe.
Science still took a back seat to the pointless climbers.
20-30 years ago, climbing Mt. Everest sounded impressive. Now that there are literally lines to the summit it's lost a lost of its luster.
Pointless climbers (Score:2)
Wow, i guess somebody else always has it worse. (Score:2)
I've actually worked with all the equipment in the photo. Never had to install one above the tree line.
Are they going to put it on Weather Undergound? (Score:2)